Mangalore’s Largest Mall ‘City Centre’ inaugurated with pomp

Mangalore, April 25, 2010: The City Centre which is stated to be the largest mall in the coastal and Malnad region was opened today with much fanfare. The biggest mall of Mangalore, the second biggest mall of Karnataka and India’s 10th largest mall “City Centre” is another feather in the cap of Mangalore’s glistening landscape. Mangaloreans are all set to embrace the new mall culture and the life is going to move in a faster pace in the city.

City’s who’s who were there for the inauguration. The rich and the famous of the city were there to enjoy the fanfare and provided the much needed star attraction to the opening ceremony. More importantly the middle class customers outnumbered the VIPs by thousands. The inaugural honours were done by the 94- year old Nonagenarian Rajayogini Mahatapaswini Dadi Jankiji, Chief of Brahma Kumaris, World Headquarters, Mount Abu. Minister for Ports and Environment and District-in-charge Minister Krishna J Palemar and Nitte University Chancellor N Vinaya Hegde were the chief guests on the occasion.

The programme started with invoking God’ blessings by the way of a prayer song and followed by the lighting of the traditional lamp by the guests on the dais. Ms. Giselle D Mehtha, Ex. IRS welcomed the gathering.

In her benedictory address Dadi Jankiji said the City Centre Mall will be a beacon of light for the people of Mangalore. It will radiate exuberance, consumerism and increase the prosperity of the people of this city.

She said people seek happiness in their day to day life and this Mall will provide it and give them peace and happiness. But at the same time the people should show some degree of patience, love and tolerance towards others, which will improve the society.

Mr. Krishna Palemar Minister for Ports and Environment and District-in-charge Minister Krishna J Palemar who felicitated the promoters of City Centre was in a mood for some preaching, he said “no doubt that the people of Mangalore were resourceful, intelligent and hard working but when they co-oridinate their efforts to chanelise their energies to make a better society they can achieve wonders. Mangalore was the next engine of growth for the state and let us not divide ourselves for trivial things he called.

Mr. Palemar said that the state government had brought Akrama Sakrama into effect which will give some relief to the people in rectifying the papers of their buildings. He said Mohitsham should come up with more such buildings in Mangalore. He appreciated that the Mohtisham Group had introduced the apartment culture in Mangalore which had provided homes for thousands of people in Mangalore.

Mr. Palemar also said that the Mangalore City Corporation has introduced the Comprehensive Development Plan in the city which will help the people to get out of all building violations in the future but the people should try to help the Corporation to make the CDP happen in the city.

Mr. N.Vinaya Hegde Chancellor of Nitte University in his felicitation address said Mangalore has seen entrepreneurs fifty years back also who have added colour to Mangalore, he remembered the promoters of Vishwa Bhavan and Woodside hotels Mr said Mohtisham had transformed Mangalore’s skyline and they will continue to do that in the future also he hoped.

Outlining the features of the Mall Mr. S.M.Arshad Managing director of Mohtisham likened it to the second largest mall in Karnataka and one of the ten largest malls in India. He said though the Mall will be fully occupied by May this year concessionaires were working day in and day out for completion of their respective shops.

Mr. Arshad said the mall has created a large number of employment and when the mall is fully ready for operations it would have given direct employment to over 2700 people of the city and 1500 others indirect employment. S M Savood delivered the vote of thanks.

With nearly 5,40,000 sq ft sale space, 800 plus car parking provision at 5 levels, this second largest mall in a Tier II city in the country will certainly open up new horizons for the people of Mangalore and the entire Malnad belt, emerging as a single-destination shopping haven for all their shopping needs. Food courts with multi-cuisine restaurants, fast food joints, gaming, entertainment, shopping, bowling alley, banquet facilities, high-end saloon and spa facility, having a peep into an art gallery or just loitering in the vast expanse of the spacious lobby of the mall – there is everything for everyone and for every age groups all throughout the year.

The City Centre will have 170 plus retail stores including national and international brands which will make shopping in Mangalore a delightful experience. Global and national brands such as Mark & Spencer, KFC, The Body Shop, Gili, Blackberry, Pepe, Soch, Storex, Coffee Day, Westside, several brands of Reliance namely reliance Footprints, Reliance Jewels, Reliance Trends and other brands, hitherto not available will now be accessible in the city.

Mexican based “Cinepolis”, the 4th largest multiplex in the world has setup 5 screens in the 4th floor of the mall with an exclusive VIP theatre being introduced for the first time in the country. The Cineplex will be operational by the end of this August. The 4th floor will also house a very large food court with as many as 15 express counters offering mouthwatering local, fast food and multi-cuisine food stuff to cater to the gastronomic needs of the people of this cosmopolitan city.